


Stay

by KennaxVal



Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-08-09 22:55:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20125198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KennaxVal/pseuds/KennaxVal





	Stay

Everything felt so out of place for Riley. Here she was, in the home of her rival, Countess Madeline, and she was on a mission. Her name dragged through the mud by some unknown adversary and her friend; King Liam would soon marry the Countess. To protect Liam from an unhappy marriage, she had to prove her innocence. Riley loved Liam, and maybe for a time, thought she was in love with him. But as time passed, she came to regard him as a very dear friend, not unlike Maxwell, Drake and… and… Just then a knock on her door. Thinking it was Maxwell, Riley was instead surprised to find, “Hana!” She pulled Hana into a tight hug, lingering, not wanting to let go. She took in the smell of Hana’s perfume and the warmth of her smooth, soft skin and as her anxiety melted away, Riley knew her suspicions were confirmed. “You’re even more beautiful than I remembered,” Riley remarked, hesitantly pulling away but still squeezing Hana’s shoulders, wanting to savor every bit of physical contact with her beloved.

***

Blushing, Hana looked away, and then struggled to meet Riley’s eyes. It was still so unusual for Hana to hear compliments and she might very well have run off in embarrassment had someone else made that remark. But this was Riley, and Hana trusted her, truly believed her when she said nice things to her. Of course, the idea that someone would genuinely compliment her seemed like something she needed to learn how to process. She could think of it as learning the various skills her parents forced upon her. There was a strange comfort in that, those memories were sad, but they were also safe and familiar. Compliments were still new, and although she wasn’t quite comfortable with it, Hana was excited just the same.

***

In the dressing room, Hana suggested that Riley could be with whoever she wants once the scheme against her was resolved. Riley couldn’t tell if Hana was making an implication about the two of them, or if the New Yorker was simply reading into the comment. She felt bad for Hana, the way her parents dominated her life, denying her any freedom. More than anything, Riley wanted Hana to be free and happy, able to choose whoever she wanted to be with, even if that person wasn’t Riley. 

***

As she thought about a possible life with Riley, Hana was even more confused. Being with another woman was something that Hana had never even considered. She remembered thinking that other women were beautiful, even lightheaded around some of them, but she never gave it much thought. Her time with Riley opened her eyes to her true feelings. ‘How ashamed mother and father would be if they knew how I felt,’ Hana thought to herself, wondering if she would ever be truly happy. Her parents never explicitly said she couldn’t be with another woman, but the idea was certainly implied. All her life, Hana had been groomed to attract a husband that would make her parents proud, and until she met Riley, that seemed just fine to her. But, somehow, fine didn’t seem good enough.

***

Later that night, Riley answered the knock at her door, this time knowing it would be the lovely Hana. They had seen each other just moments earlier, but Riley had to hug Hana again. No matter what, this was pure love. Even if Hana didn’t reciprocate, Riley was glad just to have her around. “I love you, Hana,” she said, not knowing what made her blurt that out. She felt the need to recover from that remark. “I… uh… I mean, you’re such a great friend.”

***

For a brief second, Hana’s heart skipped a beat. She thought that maybe, Riley wanted her, only for that hope crushed by Riley’s declaration of friendship. Timidly, she smiled as she told Riley that she loved her too, as a friend. It crushed her to say that. Of course, Riley’s friendship meant a great deal, but Hana dreamed of something more. After they had some hot chocolate and caught up on the past few weeks, Hana decided that she should go, even though she never wanted the night to end.

***

“Hana, wait!” Riley called out as her friend stood up. “I was thinking… uh… maybe we could watch a few movies, I don’t know about you, but right now, I don’t think I’ll be able to get any sleep.” ‘Perfect,’ Riley thought to herself, ‘this should keep her here for a few hours.’

***

“Ok Riley, but just a couple movies.” Hana didn’t want to seem desperate, but she would gladly spend all night if she thought that’s what Riley wanted. She sat on the couch, eager to spend extra time with the woman she loved.

***

“I’m thinking I should watch movies that are political in nature.”

“That’s a good idea,” said Hana, “What did you have in mind?”

“First up I’m thinking ‘Captain America: Winter Soldier,’ I’m an MCU fanatic. How does that sound?”

“That sounds like fun, Riley, but I’m just up for whatever you want to do. I’m happiest when I’m spending time with you.”

Riley felt her breath quicken. What did Hana mean by that? The uncertainty was torture for Riley, but could she tell Hana how she felt?

***

Hana was enjoying herself, but when she and Riley reached for popcorn at the same time, her heart sped up as their hands touched. She pulled away quickly, “I’m sorry,” she said, slightly embarrassed. Riley held her hand and reassured her that nothing was wrong. Hana exhaled, unaware that she had been holding her breath. Holding Riley’s hand felt so right, and it felt so wrong to let go.

***

“That was an entertaining movie,” said Riley, “but it made me think about the balance between freedom and safety. No system is perfect, so how much of the blame does a leader get when something goes wrong? Poor Liam, his life is filled with such burdens.” She knew that so much responsibility must be taxing. Regardless of his training, Liam was someone exceptional, as evidenced by his optimism and selfless tendencies, even in the face of such pressure. 

***

“You’re a good friend,” said Hana as she stroked Riley’s back, wondering if it was too much, “I know Liam appreciates your support. After we clear your name, we can help Liam find someone worthy of both the crown and his heart. He’ll have someone to share his burden, and then we can be together.” Hana’s eyes went wide; she couldn’t believe she said that out loud. Normally she was so measured. Now it was like she was a new person. She had no choice. It was time to own her decision to make her feelings known. When Riley said nothing, Hana stood up, “I’m sorry I said that” she said and headed towards the door.

***

Riley rushed past Hana and stood in front of her. After an agonizingly long pause, she finally said, “Stay. Stay with me, Hana. I’ve wanted to tell you how I feel for so long, but I lacked your courage. Please stay with me. I don’t want to be without you anymore.”

***

“Oh, Riley I don’t want to be without you either.” They hugged each other, but it was unlike before. Without the uncertainty that plagued them, they squeezed each other, communicating their love with their embrace. Hana then cupped Riley’s face, leaned in and kissed her softly. “So, what now?” asked Hana, smiling, not actually caring as long as she would always be with Riley.

***

“Well, we have a lot of work to do, if we are to help Liam, House Beaumont and convince your parents that I’m worthy of their daughter, and once we do, it’ll all be worth it. But for now, all we can do is head back to the couch, watch some more movies and just enjoy each other’s company.”

***

“Sounds great,” said Hana, truly happy for the first time in her life. “Tonight, a movie marathon with the woman I love; tomorrow we clear your name and save the King.”

***

The sound emanating from the tv faded into the background of their minds as they held each other close. They couldn’t reveal themselves to the world yet, but they knew the time would soon come. It was awesome how magical a night of hugging and watching movies could be, and they were both filled with anticipation for what life had in store for them.


End file.
